Secretariat cemented his place as one of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses of all time, an American icon, and a cultural phenomenon of the era with his Triple Crown victory in 1973, which culminated with a historic 31-length victory at Belmont. His Preakness Stakes speed record of 1:53 still stands today, and he finished his illustrious career with five Eclipse awards, two Horse of the Year honors, and an induction in the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame.

One of only two horses in history to be undefeated at the time of winning the Triple Crown, Seattle Slew dominated the field as the 1977 Horse of the year. His victory in the 102nd running of the Preakness Stakes lives on in horse racing lore as one of the fastest times ever recorded at 1:54.

Affirmed thundered to the front of the pack in the 103rd running of the Preakness Stakes on his way to claiming the Triple Crown, marking the only time in history that two horses achieved the feat in back-to-back years following Seattle Slew's win in 1977.

In 1989 a passionate East vs. West clash overtook the sport of Thoroughbred racing, featuring California's Sunday Silence and New York's Easy Goer squaring off in the year's four biggest races. Sunday Silence won three of the races, including a dramatic victory by a nose in the Preakness, to define the unforgettable rivalry.

Coming off a dramatic win in the 1997 Kentucky Derby, Silver Charm thrilled the racing world in the 122nd running of the Preakness Stakes with one of the most epic finishes in the race's history. Going nose-to-nose down to the wire against Captain Bodgit and Touch Gold, the gray colt emerged victorious to give trainer Bob Baffert his first-ever Preakness win.

Smarty Jones rose to national prominence in 2004, sweeping the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, and Kentucky Derby on his way to the 129th running of the Preakness Stakes, where he won by a record margin of 11 ½ lengths.

In one of the most dramatic come-from-behind victories in Preakness history in 2005, Afleet Alex rebounded coming out of the final turn after clipping heels with Scrappy T and nearly falling down. The thoroughbred recovered and regained his momentum, charging down the homestretch to claim a 4 3/4 length victory.

Regarded in 2007 as the best trio of three-year-olds in 50 years, Curlin, Street Sense, and Hard Spun sparked an intense debate in the racing world of who brought the most talent to the track. All three Thoroughbreds squared off three times in their classic rivalry, including the 132nd running of the Preakness Stakes, where Curlin edged Street Sense in a photo finish, with Hard Spun trailing by 4 lengths.

A bay mare distinguished by an upside-down, exclamation-point shaped white blaze, Rachel Alexandra caught the attention of the sports world beyond her appearance in 2009 when she became the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness Stakes, followed by Horse of the Year honors.

Taking the racing world by storm in 2012 as a major underdog, I'll Have Another proved himself twice by defeating Bodemeister in both the Kentucky Derby and the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, narrowly winning with a final push in the last furlong.

Chestnut-colored and named for his flashy white markings, California Chrome rose from modest bloodlines to national fanfare in 2014, when he became the only California-bred horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. The two-time Horse of the Year also took home the Secretariat Vox Populi Award, the NTRA "Moment of the Year," and an additional Eclipse award that year. The city of Fresno, CA proclaimed October 11 as California Chrome Day.

The 12th winner of the coveted Triple Crown in 2015, American Pharoah remains the only horse in history to achieve the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing by winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic. His epic victory ended a 37-year drought between Triple Crown winners, dating back to Affirmed in 1978.

A descendent of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, Justify followed in Seattle Slew’s footsteps to become the 13th horse in history to capture the Triple Crown in 2018. Justify ended his career following his Belmont Stakes victory, retiring as the only Triple Crown winner in history to never lose a race.

In one of the most thrilling stretch duels in the history of the Triple Crown, Swiss Skydiver held off Kentucky Derby winner Authentic down the stretch to emerge victorious in the 145th running of the Preakness Stakes, becoming only the 6th filly in history to win the Middle Jewel.